Motoring: Goodbye to the ‘best offroader in the world’

AS the world prepares to bid a fond farewell to the classic Land Rover Defender, fans of the iconic offroader are getting ready for a new film celebrating the life of one of the world’s most recognisable vehicles.

The film [VIDEO: 885] has been commissioned to celebrate the global automotive icon and to promote the forthcoming charity auction of the Defender 2,000,000, which takes place at Bonhams headquarters in London on December 16.

In addition to the two millionth vehicle, the film – shot on the streets of London – also stars a number of the more unusual, specially modified vehicles to have carried the Land Rover badge during the last seven decades.

These include a Series II Land Rover ice cream van, a specially tailored Paul Smith Defender and the first ever Series Land Rover show car, displayed at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948.

The Defender 2,000,000 will be on display at a specially curated exhibition on December 15 and 16 giving prospective bidders the chance to preview the vehicle ahead of its auction.

All proceeds from the auction of Defender 2,000,000 will be donated in their entirety to Land Rover’s humanitarian and conservation partners – the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Born Free Foundation.

The Defender 2,000,000 vehicle features a plethora of distinctive finishing touches. A map of Red Wharf Bay – where the design for the original Land Rover was first drawn in the sand – is engraved into the aluminium fender, which contrasts with the exterior Indus Silver satin paint.

A unique ‘no 2,000,000’ badge sits on the rear of the vehicle, which is mirrored on the interior console. The design is finished with Santorini Black wheels and wheel arches, roof, door hinges, grille and mirror caps.

Production of the original Land Rover Series I began at the famous Lode Lane facility in Solihull in 1947 ahead of its launch at the Amsterdam Motor Show on April 30, 1948. Since then two million examples of the Series I, II III and Defender have been produced at the factory.

With a ‘hall of fame’ depicting the Land Rover playing a supporting role to Hollywood heroes such as Steve McQueen and Daniel Craig in his role as James Bond 007, and British nobility including The Queen and Sir Winston Churchill, the exhibition will illustrate the journey of an icon that has travelled the world, playing a key role in expeditions and touching the lives of countless millions through Land Rover’s longstanding humanitarian and conservation work with partners such as the British Red Cross and the Born Free Foundation.

Roger Crathorne, known simply as ‘Mr Land Rover’, will be on hand to talk to guests. With more than 50 years’ service with Land Rover, Crathorne has a unique knowledge of the company and its most famous product.

Bentley celebrates motorsport success

WITH the chequered flag set to fall on the 2015 motorsport season, Bentley celebrated a remarkable run of results by bringing together two generations of its famous racers – the Continental GT3 and legendary 4.5 Litre ‘Blower’.

The current GT3 and its illustrious forebear from 1929 met at Silverstone in front of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), the motorsport organisation founded in 1928 by Bentley Boy and Le Mans winner, Dudley Benjafield.

They may be separated by more than eight decades but the two racing cars share Bentley’s famous pedigree.

In just its second year of competition in GT racing, Crewe-headquartered Bentley has gone from strength to strength in 2015.

With teams competing on four continents, the Continental GT3 scored multiple pole positions, race wins, podiums and, at the end of the season, won the highly-competitive Blancpain Sprint Series and took the overall team title in the GT Asia Series.

Other endurance highlights from the season include a best-ever finish at the 24 Hours of Spa, a four-car assault on the Nürburgring 24 Hours and successful completion of the gruelling Bathurst 12 Hours.

With a driver line-up featuring Le Mans winner, Guy Smith, former BRDC Young Driver of the Year, Steven Kane, and 2015 Blancpain Sprint Series champion, Vincent Abril, the company also has high hopes for next season.

Brian Gush, Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, said: “As the team prepares for another exciting racing season in 2016, it’s rewarding to look back on 2015 and to see how far we’ve come. We’re racing on four continents in the world’s largest and most competitive GT races and series. From Bathurst to Silverstone and Macau to Monterey, we’re competing with the best that GT racing has to offer.”

This year marks the 85th anniversary of the Woolf Barnato and Glen Kidston victory at Le Mans.

The Blower on display was not the winning car but was raced – with Tim Birkin at the wheel.

Birkin and his Blower diced for the lead during the famous endurance with Mercedes ace, Rudi Carracciola, passing him flat out down the Hunaudières straight with his nearside wheels on the grass.

Birkin successfully pushed the Mercedes to breaking point, but also had to retire with six hours to go, and the race was eventually won by Barnato and Kidston in their Speed Six.

Formula 1 star lights up test drive for surprised Infiniti customer

A CUSTOMER at Birmingham’s Infiniti showroom got more than he bargained for when he got a test in the manufacturer’s new Q30 and found the man behind the wheel was none other than Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo.

The Australian, who drives for the Infiniti Red Bull Racing team, was taking part in a question and answer session at the Infiniti Centre when he agreed to take the wheel of one of the new Q30s.

Customer and F1 fan Sheng Zhao, from Stratford- Upon-Avon, was the lucky recipient of the test drive.

Zhao, who had placed an order for one of the vehicles, said: “I knew I was coming to see Daniel, as I love everything regarding Formula 1.

“I was hoping to maybe get a signature, but to sit alongside him whilst driving around the streets of Birmingham was quite something.”

Ricciardo spent nearly two hours at the dealership as Fayyaz Ahmed (Team GB Athletics senior coach and RADA trained actor) fired questions his way about his life and career in motorsport’s most celebrated series.

The appearance could be one his last because Nissan, Infiniti and the Red Bull Racing Formula One team have now announced that by mutual consent they have agreed to discontinue their partnership.

The decision means Infiniti and Red Bull Racing will discontinue their commercial partnership at the end of the 2015 season, one year earlier than originally stipulated.

The partnership has been one of the most successful in F1 in recent years. The team won four consecutive Formula One constructor and driver world championship titles between 2010 and 2013. Infiniti and Red Bull Racing started their commercial partnership in 2011 before Infiniti became the title sponsor of the team in 2013.